BANGKOK: Several Chinese Airlines, including Air China, China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines, have cancelled flights to Thailand for the months of December and January due to lower-than-expected bookings.
Suttipong Kongpool, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), said 10 Chinese airlines have notified the cancellation of flights to Thailand from next month to January 2024.
Originally, 10,939 flights were scheduled for December, but only 5,858 have been confirmed, marking a 46% reduction.
For January 2024, out of the initially planned 10,984 flights, the latest confirmation stands at 7,420 flights, resulting in a 32% drop.
Piyasawat Amranand, CEO of Thai Airways International’s Business Rehabilitation Plan, attributed the cancellations to China’s economic slowdown and policy to boost domestic tourism. He also said initiatives like granting free visas to Chinese nationals have not resulted in an influx of tourists.
Korakot Chatasingha, THAI’s chief commercial officer, said the free visa initiative did not significantly boost the Chinese market.
Currently, the recovery of Chinese arrivals stands at around 40% compared to pre-Covid times (2019), leading THAI to redirect its prepared aircraft for the Chinese market to potentially viable markets.
Economic issues within China appear to be a primary reason for the lower-than-expected return of Chinese tourists, he said.
He added that airlines have yet to experience robust bookings for the upcoming Chinese New Year, but further observation is required after December.
The 10 airlines that have cancelled flights are Air China, China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines, China Southern, Shenzhen Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Okay Airways, Hainan Airlines and Beijing Capital. - The Nation/ANN
